News

AWARENESS: Heads-Up For Daniel Benmayor’s Latest Sci-Fi Actioner Currently Filming For Amazon Prime

You’d be wise to take note of filmmaker Daniel Benmayor (Tracers, Bruc) who is still stirring things up behind the scenes. If you’re between streamers and you enjoyed Netflix actioner, Xtremo, then feast your eyes on the inaugural still photo for the new sci-fi thriller flick, Awareness, which began shooting last month in Cataluña, Madrid, and Castilla y León. In Awareness we meet Ian (Carlos Scholz – Toy Boy, Feria: La luz más oscura), a rebellious teenager who lives with his father (Pedro Alonso – Money Heist, El ministerio del tiempo) on the outskirts of society. The two survive by running small scams using Ian’s ability to generate visual illusions upon unsuspecting victims. However, things get complicated when his powers get out of control in public and two opposing sides begin to hunt him down. On the run, Ian will have to decide which side he will fight with in the war […]

THE ROUNDUP Cast And Director Gather For A New Trailer + Global Launch Event

Lee B. Golden III

Director Kang Yoon-sung’s newest crime thriller, The Roundup, now gets a new minute-long trailer suited for international audiences. The footage comes tied to a global launch event that kicked off on Monday hosted by ABO Entertainment with a cast/director Q&A panel. Don Lee reunites with Kang following the film’s 2017 predecessor, The Outlaws, with Lee reprising his role as a tough-as-nails detective who tracks down a killer overseas while extraditing another criminal. Also starring are Son Seok-gu (Hit-and-Run Squad), and fellow The Outlaws cohorts Choi Gwi-hwa and Park Ji-hwan. The Roundup kicks ass in South Korean cinemas beginning May 18 from Kiwi Media Group. Watch an isolated cut of the trailer by clicking here.

THE KILL ROOM Adds Joe Manganiello For Spring Production

Lee B. Golden III

Cameras are set to roll this Spring in New York and New Jersey for dark comedy crime pic, The Kill Room, according to Deadline’s Andreas Wiseman reporting on the addition of actor Joe Manganiello (Archenemy, Zack Snyder’s Justice League) to the cast. The film, first announced in the trades at the start of April, joins the actor with previously-cast Pulp Fiction cohorts Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman. Penned by Jonathan Jacobson with Nicol Paone tapped to direct, The Kill Room charts “the story of a hitman (Manganiello), his boss (Jackson) and an art dealer (Thurman) whose money-laundering scheme accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight avant-garde sensation, forcing Thurman’s character to play the art world against the underworld.” The film will hit the Cannes market in May with producer Yale Entertainment’s sales and distribution banner, Great Escape, handling international sales and co-repping U.S. rights with ICM Partners, according to […]

HIJACK: Apple TV+ Orders Real-Time Thriller Series Starring Idris Elba

Lee B. Golden III

Apple TV+ is partnering with actor Idris Elba (Sonic The Hedgehog 2, The Suicide Squad) on new thriller series order, Hijack, marking first project that will hail from Elba’s first-look deal with Apple TV+ and his Green Door Pictures signed in 2020. Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven hour flight, as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. George Kay (Criminal, Netflix’s “Lupin”) is writing the series, and Jim Field Smith (Criminal, The Wrong Mans) is attached to direct. The two are also exec producing via their Idiotlamp Productions […]

HUNT Gets First Look At Lee Jung-Jae’s Directorial Debut

Lee B. Golden III

We now have our latest first look this week at actor Lee Jung-jae’s feature directing debut, Hunt. Megabox Plus M is repping world sales on the pic while at Cannes this season as the film leads the Midnight Screenings section and readies for a possible Camera d’Or win. Set in 1980’s, two special agents with the same deadly mission: Find a mole Agents of the Korean National Intelligence Service (KNIS), Pyung-ho (LEE Jung-jae) at Int’l Dept. and Jung-do (JUNG Woo-sung) at Domestic Dept. are both independently hunting a North Korean mole within the agency. During this investigation, they come face to face with an unbearable truth and yet must complete their own missions at all costs. The film comes in the wake Lee’s latest banner success with Netflix thriller series, Squid Game, earning the show itself numerous accolades along with awarding Lee the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance […]

Tyler Lee Allen’s ISOLATED Set For Summer Release From Uncork’d

Lee B. Golden III

Uncork’d Entertainment recently acquired KateLynn E.Newberry (Widow’s Point, Devil’s Junction: Handy Dandy’s Revenge) starrer Isolated, setting a summer release from director Tyler Lee Allen. Also starring Lanny Joon and David Solomon, the self-contained mystery/action thriller, similar in concept to Red Eye and Devil, tells of a woman that wakes up trapped inside of a room with no memory of who she is or how she got there. As she fights to find a way to escape, she ends up talking to a man in a room next to hers, that claims he, too, is trapped. As she questions whether or not to trust this man, she starts to remember things from her past that lead her to question not only where she might be, but also what she might be. “Newberry commands the screen in this captivating mystery” said Keith Leopard, President Uncork’d Entertainment. “We look forward to audiences discovering […]

New SHIN ULTRAMAN Trailer Teases Epic Monster Battles To Brand New Theme Song By Kenshi Yonezu

Lee B. Golden III

The hour is nearing as Japanese audiences await Shin Ultraman, the latest from legendary collaborators, Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s Hideaki Anno, and Shinji Higuchi in his follow up from 2016’s Shin Godzilla. Tickets are already on sale ahead of its release slated for May 13 and Toho has just launched a brand new trailer. An alien is out for justice and pursues a rogue criminal to a planet called Earth. To atone for his deeds he leaves the power and transforms a human into a hero for good and Earthly protection. Thus the Ultra Man is born as fashioned after the original early 1960s televisions serial that was on many Japanese households’ TVs. Takumi Saito (Re:Born, Fukushima 50) stars as the lead this time around with Masami Nagasawa and Hidetoshi Nishijima. Toho Pictures, Tsuburaya Productions, Khara Corporation, and Cine Bazar produced the pic which now bares the new theme song, M 87, by […]

Patrick Hughes’ THE MAN FROM TORONTO Heads To Netflix

Lee B. Golden III

Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard) is well on the up-and-up at Netflix this season. The streamer’s latest acquisition of Hughes’ latest out of Sony Pictures, The Man From Toronto, will bow in all territories sans China later this year, following in line with Sony’s first look with the streamer in 2021. Penned by Robbie Fox and Chris Bremner, The Man From Toronto stars Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson, and “revolves around a case of a mistaken identity after the world’s deadliest assassin, known as the “man from Toronto,” (Harrelson) and a stranger, played by Hart, run into each other at an Airbnb. Chaos soon follows as the assassin’s world comes crashing down on Hart.” The film also stars Kaley Cuoco, Jasmine Mathews, Lela Loren, Pierson Fode, Jencarlos Canela and Ellen Barkin and will release later this year instead of its previously-announced August date. […]

SNIPER: THE WHITE RAVEN Takes Aim At July North American Release From Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

Lucescu Phenomenon documentary director Marian Bushan’s feature debut, Sniper: The White Raven, will bow in North America with a day-and-date release on July 1 from Well Go USA, according to an announcement from the company on Wednesday. The film, which was created with support from the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the country’s Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, was previously delayed from its initial local February release. The film stars multi-hyphenate actor, musician and photographer Pavlo Aldoshyn as real-life Ukrainian sniper Mykola Voronin; The real-life sniper himself, Voronin, co-wrote the pic which centers on the titular character, who had moved to Ukraine’s Donbas region as a brilliant yet eccentric physics teacher and eco-settler. After a senseless tragedy at the hands of invading soldiers soon thereafter, the film follows Mykola as he enlists in the military and earns a coveted position as a sniper, vowing revenge on the attackers as […]

THE KILLER International Trailer: When Hitman Jang Hyuk Retires, Let Him…Or Else!

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Jang Hyuk will be banging it up for this month’s installation of the Far East Film Festival with two titles. One is Tomb Of The River. The other is much more important as it’s the latest from the actor along with director Choi Jae-hun for an action-packed look at the official trailer for The Killer. The hit man’s last mission: Keep the girl safe and sound. Ui-kang is a retired hit man. While his wife goes on a trip with her friend, she asks him a special favor to take care of her friend’s daughter. He doesn’t want to be bothered by the teenage girl but Yoon-ji gets stuck with juvenile delinquents and Ui-kang unavoidably uses a little bit of violence to protect her. However strangely, the juvenile delinquents are found dead and things start to get serious. Even worse, Yoon-ji is kidnapped by a teenager trafficking unit and […]

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Lionsgate, Zoë Bell To Tackle Feature Adaptation Of The Viral Video Hit, ‘Boss Bitch Fight Challenge’

Lee B. Golden III

According to Deadline‘s Anthony D’Alessandro, Lionsgate is partnering up with actress Zoë Bell for an adaptation of Bell’s Boss Bitch Fight Challenge. The film takes its cues from the comedic Fight Challenge viral video trend that took shape when stunt performer Aaron Toney cut together the inaugural video that started it all. The trend caught on with stunt players around the world, and eventually with Bell whose own “Boss Bitch Fight Challenge” enlists a number of actresses such as Lucy Lawless, Rosario Dawson and Margot Robbie, and industry stuntwomen like Tara Macken, Angela Meryl, and sisters Heidi and Renae Moneymaker among others. “Zoë has built up a huge fan base over the years – which is no surprise, because she’s a bona fide icon who kicks ass and takes names in a part of the industry still dominated by men,” said Erin Westerman, president of production for the Lionsgate Motion […]

THE SADNESS: AMC’s Shudder Lands A May Date For Rob Jabbaz’s Shocking Festival Horror Thriller Fave

Lee B. Golden III

AMC Network’s Shudder has acquired rights to Canadian director Rob Jabbaz’s feature debut, The Sadness. The film stars Regina Lei (76 Horror Bookstore) and Berant Zhu (We Are Champions, How to Train Our Dragon), and will launch exclusively on the premium horror thriller streamer beginning May 12 in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The Sadness was shot in Taipei, Taiwan, and and follows a young couple trying to reunite amid a city ravaged by a plague that turns its victims into deranged, bloodthirsty sadists. The film had an impressive festival run that began at the prestigious 74th annual Locarno Film Festival, and celebrated screenings at the Fantasia International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, where the film took awards for Best First Feature in Montreal and for Best Horror and Best Direction in Austin. Our review is available here following its Fantasia run. Said Craig Engler, […]

THERE ARE NO SAINTS In The Official Trailer For The New Action Crime Thriller From Saban Films!

Lee B. Golden III

I actually caught this trailer two nights ago but held off posting anything since I didn’t receive anything in my inbox about it. Alas, credit to First Showing as we dive into the trailer above for director Alfonso Pineda Ulloa’s newest thriller, There Are No Saints! Looking to start a new life, a former hitman nicknamed “The Jesuit” (Jose Maria Yazpik) is still unable to escape the sins of his past. With enemies on both sides of the law, he has nowhere to turn when his only son is kidnapped by a ruthless cartel boss (Ron Perlman). He’ll stop at nothing to save his boy in this gritty action thriller. There Are No Saints also stars Neal McDonough, Brian Cox, Tommy Flanagan, Paz Vega and Karla Souza, from a script by Paul Schrader. Saban Films is releasing the film in select theaters and on VoD from May 27.

Chad Stahelski’s GHOSTS OF TSUSHIMA Attaches Writer

Lee B. Golden III

Deadline has it on good terms that Chad Stahelski’s live-action Ghosts Of Tsushima is well on track for its development over at Sony Pictures and Playstation Productions. The word now is that the project has landed screenwriter Takashi Doscher to pen the script. Doscher is additionally seeing through the ink for monster movie concept, Blue, over at AGBO and MGM, and is also credited for penning and directing romantic sci-fi romance, Only (2019), and fantasy drama, Still (2018), among other titles. Ghosts Of Tsushima was announced last March with Stahelski attached. Based on the hit video game of the same name, the story is set in 1274 and focuses on a lone Samurai who must learn and adapt to a new, untraditional way of fighting in his quest against the fearsom Mongols for the freedom of Japan. Stahelski is also producing via 87Eleven Entertainment with Alex Young and Jason Spitz, with Asad […]

RRR Star Ram Charan Signals New Collab With UV Creations For Director Gowtam Tinnanuri

Lee B. Golden III

Award-winning actor Ram Charan is on deck to star in an as-yet untitled “multi-million dollar” feature film with production house, UV Creations, with director Gowtam Tinnanuri at the helm, according to announcements on Monday. The news comes following a period of well over two weeks of buzz and box office for the hit success of Baahubali helmer S.S. Rajamouli’s latest period action epic, RRR, in which Charan stars alongside A-listers NT Rama Rao, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn. The film is billed as a thought experiment that centers on two legendary revolutionaries and their fictional journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in the 1920s. It has been highly praised for its incredible action sequences and stunt-filled set pieces. UV Creations is hailed as the company responsible for several Tollywood (or Tegulu language cinema) blockbusters such as Koratala Siva’s action drama, Mirchi (2013), and Sujeeth’s romantic […]

Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2022: RUPTURE, KUNG FU STUNTMEN, DRUNKEN MASTER 2 And More On The Horizon For April 30!

Lee B. Golden III

The next installment of the Fighting Spirit Film Festival is still on-going with Early-Bird submissions over at the Film Freeway page from now through the 29th. In the meantime, tickets are now on sale for the Birmingham-based event over at the Eventbrite page which has a program line-up comprised of three feature segments, several award-winning short films and much, much more. The features taking center stage include a Q&A for director Ranjeet S. Marwa about his new cyberpunk revenge thriller, Rupture, starring Mark Strange (Ip Man 4, Redcon-1) as an ex-con seeking revenge against the men who’ve wronged him. Featuring interviews with film laureates like Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-Hung and action star Donnie Yen among others, John Wei’s Kung Fu Stuntmen: Never Say No dives deep into the last half-century that saw major growth for Hong Kong cinemas biggest rivaling studios as industry stuntmen worked tirelessly to serve as […]

NIMONA: Get A First Look At The New Netflix Animated Feature Arriving In 2023

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix on Monday unveiled the first look at Nick Bruno and Troy Quane’s new animated feature, Nimona. The streamer is also partnering with Annapurna and DNEG Animation on the project which is based on the New York Times bestselling graphic novel by author ND Stevenson. Penned by Roy Lee, Karen Ryan, Julie Zackary, Nimona is set in a techno-medieval world where a shape-shifting and might-be-a-monster teen is the only one who can prove the innocence of a knight who’s been framed for a crime he didn’t commit. The streamer describes the film as “a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone.” Leading the voice cast is Chloë Grace Moretz as Nimona, with Riz Ahmed as Ballister Boldheart, and Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin. Robert L. Baird, Megan Ellison, Andrew Millstein are exec producing the film which is slated for a 2023 release.

ABSOLUTE DOMINION: Nevada Setting The Stage For Netflix Martial Arts Tournament Thriller From ‘Punisher: War Zone’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix is partnering up with Jason Blum (The Purge franchise, Upgrade, Freaky) and German-Palestinian filmmaker Lexi Alexander (Punisher: War Zone, Green Street Hooligans, Lifted) for martial arts action film, Absolute Dominion. An official statement by Netflix remains pending for now, but production is reportedly set to kick off later this month at the Terrible’s Hotel and Casino in Jean, Nevada near Las Vegas. The hotel has long since been closed down following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States back in March of 2020. Set in 2085, Absolute Dominion centres on a world that has nearly been destroyed by religious terrorism where cities in countries all over the world have been annihilated. Desperate for a solution to save humanity, the United Nations votes to implement a concept created by a popular internet comedian called The Battle Of Absolute Dominion. All qualifying belief systems will send one representative to compete […]

REDEMPTION: New Malaysian Action Thriller From Michael Chuah, Filming Now Underway [EXCLUSIVE]

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and filmmaker Michael Chuah has been around since 2006. He firstly horror drama, Dark Seed, and has been following up with several actioners along the way debuting, initally appearing in Fist Of Dragon (2011), action comedies Firefly (2013) and Special Forces (2016) and Red Storm (2019). If you’re curious and live in the states at least, you can find most of Chuah’s films on Amazon Prime to rent or buy. In the meantime, I can report more on Chuah as he’s already shooting his newest film, Redemption. The film reunites Chuah with actor Henry Thia (Special Forces, Red Storm) and Monday Kang (Fist Of Dragon), with local actor/singer Tian Long also starring. As for the story, this is what Chuah has exclusively sent us along with the still just above: “Jie, one of the top bodyguards in Asia, has decided to retire, and to undergo a more peaceful life […]

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DEATH TOUCH: Troy Sandford To Make His Martial Arts Action Feature Directing Debut [EXCLUSIVE]

Lee B. Golden III

What you’re seeing below in this article and the thumbnail is the preliminary artwork actor, stunt multi-hyphenate and filmmaker Troy Sandford (Ip Man 4: The Finale) has allowed us to share, announcing his feature directing debut, Death Touch. Sanford, who is based in Beijing with his own self-titled stunt unit, Troy’s Team, is partnering with Australia’s Rhythmic Films. Here is what we can report on the story and plot: “Death Touch centers on a peaceful son who is forced to battle his father and siblings when his unborn child threatens to upend the family’s immortality.” FCSyndicate can reveal little else about the film and who is involved while pre-production continues, but I am told the film will look to roll cameras sometime this year. Also, I can share what Sanford has to say about the projects and his hopes going forward. “With the tone of Daredevil, the emotional element of […]